Course Focuses on Critical Skills
Led by IOG’s team, including Robertino Martinez, Dr. Lars Brünjes, and Karina Lopez, the course presented the challenge of teaching Haskell, the programming language behind Cardano. Despite its complexity, the program was designed to transform beginners into proficient developers in Haskell, Plutus, and Marlowe, Cardano’s smart contract languages. To accommodate students’ work and university commitments, the course followed a 5-hour daily schedule.
Students displayed tremendous commitment and resilience, attending classes after their morning work shifts and pursuing their studies into the evening. The curriculum incorporated practical exercises and project work, enabling hands-on learning and practical application of their skills.
Karina Lopez also noted the active participation and enthusiasm of the students, particularly among women, indicating a positive trend towards greater diversity in technology and blockchain fields.
Kenyan Students Implement Cardano Technology to Solve Real-World Challenges
The program included a personal project phase where students could apply their newfound skills to address community-specific issues. After the in-person training, the course transitioned to an online format for an additional eight weeks. This allowed for a deeper exploration of advanced topics and project development, covering advanced Haskell training, Marlowe contract creation, Plutus smart contract writing, and the development of a functional stablecoin decentralized application (DApp).
As part of the training in Nairobi, IOG engaged in local tech events and immersed themselves in Kenyan culture and environment, including visits to Nairobi National Park and the Maasai Market.
Completion of this course signifies a significant milestone for students venturing into blockchain development, equipped with the necessary skills to thrive on the Cardano platform.
As IOG Education expands its educational initiatives, the impact of these programs on the blockchain ecosystem and local communities is poised to grow. The Cardano ecosystem, through various entities, is actively working on establishing a solid presence in Africa.
Furthermore, IOG has partnered with the Ethiopian government to implement blockchain solutions across different sectors, with the aim of onboarding millions of individuals to the ecosystem within the next decade.